The present invention is directed to building construction. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a thin-walled monolithic panel with a suspension system to attach it to, and stand it off from, a substrate.
Currently, if a builder or homeowner wants a house sporting the look of brick, s/he has basically two options: actual masonry construction, or installing a face brick utilizing a suspension grid. These systems are hard to install, are comparatively expensive and involve heavy construction materials. It is an object of the present invention to provide a monolithic, light-weight thin-walled composite panel configured to look like brick. Many composite siding systems suffer from the problem of trapping moisture behind the panel which provides a breeding ground for mold growth. The suspension system of the present invention provides adequate standoff from the attachment substrate to permit airflow which dries out any moisture which finds its way behind the panels, preventing mold growth.
The present invention is directed to a suspension system for securing siding to a substrate, the siding including a plurality of panels each panel extending horizontally along an x-axis, vertically along a y-axis, and being capable of movement out of plane relative to the substrate along a z-axis, the suspension system comprising a) first support means underlying a bottom edge of a siding panel holding the bottom edge at a first distance from the substrate and supporting the siding panel; b) second support means for engaging an upper edge of the siding panel and retaining the upper edge at a second spaced distance from the substrate; whereby the first and second support means i) maintain adequate space between the siding panel and the substrate to enable moisture to escape and circulating air to dry out any residual moisture which migrates behind the siding panel; and, ii) limit relative vertical movement along the y-axis between the siding and the substrate, limit relative movement along the z-axis between the siding and the substrate, while enabling the siding panel to experience lateral movement relative to the substrate along the x-axis.
The first support means preferably comprises an H-shaped channel which has a first vertical arm with a first primary axis, a first horizontal arm extending in a first direction from a mid-portion of the first vertical arm, a second vertical arm extending from a distal end of the first horizontal arm, the first horizontal arm having a second primary axis extending parallel to the first primary axis, and spacer means extending in a second direction from the first vertical arm to, together with a thickness of the first vertical arm, provide the first distance from the substrate. The second direction is preferably directly opposite to the first direction. The spacer means includes a first series of buttons extending outwardly in a row proximate an upper edge of the first vertical arm. Preferably, each of the buttons is oval having a primary axis extending along the primary axis of the H-shaped channel. Each of the first series of buttons is hollow. The spacer means further includes a second series of buttons extending outwardly in a row proximate a lower edge of the first vertical arm. Each of the buttons of the second series of buttons is oval having a primary axis extending perpendicular to the first primary axis. Each of the buttons of the second series of buttons is solid.
The first vertical arm has a series of cutouts to reduce an amount of material utilized in making the H-shaped channel. The series of cutouts includes a first group of upper cut outs and a second group of lower cutouts. The second vertical arm comprises a first set of upwardly directed arm sections extending upwardly from the first horizontal arm opposite the first group of upper cutouts. The second vertical arm further comprises a second set of downwardly directed arm sections extending downwardly from the first horizontal arm opposite the second group of lower cutouts. The first set of upwardly directed arm sections engage lower portions of a first set of siding panels restraining their movement along the z-axis, while the second set of downwardly directed arm sections engage upper portions of a second set of siding panels restraining their movement along the z-axis.
Another aspect of the invention includes a siding system comprising a) a light-weight, monolithic composite panel, the monolithic composite panel having thin walls configured to give the appearance of three-dimensional brick having a dimension along each of an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis; b) a suspension system for attaching the light-weight, monolithic composite panel to a substrate, the suspension system spacing the monolithic composite panel from the substrate preventing movement along the y-axis and the z-axis while allowing lateral movement along the x-axis. The panel includes a series of rows of bricks, adjacent the rows of bricks having varying lengths forming spaces, whereby an adjacent composite panel will have offset simulated bricks which interdigitate with said spaces. A specialty panel for corners is provided having a first group of simulated bricks extending in a first direction and a second group of simulated bricks extending in a second orthogonal direction.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.